Sales of new hardware for the year decreased 13% from a year ago to $6.3 billion, as the Microsoft ( MSFT) Xbox was the only hardware platform to see an increase in sales over 2009.

Software sales were down 6% to $9.4 billion, despite the success of games like Activision's ( ATVI) Call of Duty: Black Ops, which has surpassed $1 billion in sales since its November release.

Industry bright spots included PC physical games sales, which increased 3% in 2010.

Gaming accessories also enjoyed a record month in December, rising 13% year-over-year to $2.9 billion due to an increase in the average retail price of accessory items. Microsoft's Kinect device was the best-selling accessory for the second month in a row, following its release in November. Sales of the device have topped 8 million in 60 days, Microsoft has said.